Daily Brief

The Union Cabinet approved a draft Bill on 24 July 2026 to prescribe stricter punishment for examination paper-leak cases, a day after PM Modi announced fast-track courts for such cases amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.

Under a notification dated 20 July 2026, the Centre barred communication infrastructure providers — including cloud-hosted telecom networks, mobile towers and satellite gateways — from sharing telecom data, logs and information outside India, under the new Telecommunications (Authorisation for Telecommunication Network) Rules, 2026.

The Union Cabinet approved construction of the 3rd and 4th railway lines on the Ballari–Guntakal section (Karnataka–Andhra Pradesh) at a cost of Rs 1,264 crore on 24 July 2026, adding about 46 km to the network and improving connectivity for roughly 99 villages.

SSC released the final vacancy list for the Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical) Examination 2025 on 24 June 2026, raising the total to 1,731 posts (from 1,340 originally), with the Border Roads Organisation accounting for the largest share.

AIIMS New Delhi opened applications on 24 July 2026 for NORCET-11, calling for 2,218 Nursing Officer (Group B) vacancies across AIIMS institutions; the application window closes 13 August 2026.

IT major HCLTech announced on 24 July 2026 that it will set up its first AI Data Centre in Odisha with a planned capital outlay of Rs 14,257 crore.

RBI temporarily withdrew the interest-rate ceiling on fresh Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) [FCNR(B)] deposits with 3-5 year tenors, effective from 17 June 2026 until 30 September 2026, giving banks more flexibility to mobilise NRI foreign-currency deposits.

July 2026 has emerged as India's busiest IPO month this year, with around 10 companies raising over Rs 10,000 crore and posting an average listing-day gain of 22%, even as the Nifty 50 slipped about 1.2% for the month.

India and Romania signed three agreements in Bucharest on 23 July 2026 during President Droupadi Murmu's state visit — covering science & technology cooperation, a new Chair of Indian Studies at the University of Bucharest, and sports — and set a target to double bilateral trade in three years; it was the first visit by an Indian head of state to Romania in over three decades.

On the sidelines of ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meetings in Manila on 23 July 2026, EAM S Jaishankar held bilateral talks with counterparts from Oman, the UK, the Netherlands and the Philippines, and with UNRWA.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met EAM Jaishankar in Manila on 23 July 2026, with both sides discussing finalisation of an interim India-US trade deal and key defence agreements, alongside developments in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the agency is targeting seven launches this fiscal year with its next mission due within about two months, including the EOS-05 earth observation satellite expected to fly on a GSLV Mk II from Sriharikota.

The Union Cabinet approved Semicon India Programme 2.0 with a total outlay of Rs 1,27,500 crore on 15 July 2026, covering chip design, manufacturing, materials, advanced packaging and skill development to strengthen India's semiconductor ecosystem.

IBM is set to commission one of India's first physical quantum computers in Amaravati by September 2026, as Andhra Pradesh positions the city as a 'Quantum Valley' under India's National Quantum Mission.

DRDO conducted the maiden flight-test of the indigenous 'Kusha' long-range surface-to-air missile off the Odisha coast on 23 July 2026; the Rs 21,700-crore project has three interceptor variants with ranges of about 150 km, 250 km and 400 km.

'Samudra Pradakshina', India's first Tri-Service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition aboard IASV Triveni, completed its 314-day, nearly 25,500-nautical-mile voyage across four oceans and returned to Mumbai on 22 July 2026.

India firmly rejected Pakistan's assertions on the Indus Waters Treaty at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila on 23 July 2026, with the MEA reiterating that the treaty remains in abeyance until Pakistan credibly halts cross-border terrorism.

The Union Cabinet approved the Rs 3,030-crore BHAVYA – Rasayan (Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan) Scheme on 24 July 2026 to set up three dedicated Chemical Parks, with the Centre providing up to Rs 1,000 crore per park over a five-year period (FY2026-27 to FY2030-31).

Odisha extended the validity of its Electric Vehicle Policy 2021 until 30 September 2026, keeping financial incentives and subsidies for EVs active in the state during this period.

Bihar extended the validity of its Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package (BIIPP) 2025 — originally due to expire on 30 June 2026 — to 31 December 2026, keeping industrial investment incentives active in the state.

The 15th International Heritage Tourism Conclave, organised by PHDCCI with Ministry of Tourism support under the theme 'ख़याल विरासत का' (Care for Heritage), was held at Hyderabad's Salar Jung Museum on 24 July 2026, concluding with a heritage walk through Charminar and Laad Bazaar on 25 July.

The Buddha Samyak Darshan Museum-cum-Memorial Stupa in Vaishali, Bihar, is scheduled to be inaugurated on 29 July 2026, expected to draw Buddhist monks and followers from around 15 countries.

Tamil Nadu renamed its Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme as the 'Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme' on 22 July 2026, honouring former Chief Minister K Kamaraj.

On Day 3 (25 July) of the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, India's medal hopes rest on gymnast Pranati Nayak's team, boxer Sachin Siwach's men's 60kg bout, and the women's 3x3 wheelchair basketball team's CWG debut against Wales.

Boxer Lovlina Borgohain secured at least a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after receiving a bye straight into the women's 75kg semifinal (only five entries in the category); she meets Tarona Taafaki on 31 July for a place in the final.

Para-powerlifter Jhandu Kumar won India's first medal — a bronze — in the men's heavyweight category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on 24 July 2026.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved around 20 Joint Secretary-level appointments on 24 July 2026 across ministries including agriculture, atomic energy, financial services, food distribution, urban development and disaster management.

The NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2026 are set to be announced on 26 July 2026 in Mumbai, with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as chief guest.

Flooding from monsoon rains overflowing the Brahmaputra has killed at least 50 people and displaced around 700,000 in Assam as of 24 July 2026, submerging nearly 900 villages and cutting power to over 7,000 homes.

Valsad district in Gujarat recorded exceptionally heavy rainfall of over 100 cm in 24 hours on 23 July 2026, as the IMD flagged continuing extremely heavy rain over the state on 24-25 July.